The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man who was reportedly angry with his girlfriend allegedly broke into the Dallas Museum of Art and destroyed artifacts dating back as far as the 6th Century with an estimated worth of $5M.
Around 10:00 PM on May 1, a man reportedly used a metal chair to break into and enter the Dallas Museum of Art after hours.
With the chair still in his hand, the man allegedly began to wreck many ancient artifacts on display.
Some of the items destroyed were statues and pots. Two of the pieces, one pot from 6th Century Greece and a pyxis box from 450 BCE, were valued at $5M together. Over $150,000 worth of various other art pieces in the museum were also destroyed, in addition to display cases and furniture.
According to reports, the suspect notified the authorities about the situation by calling 911 himself, but a museum guard also encountered the alleged intruder.
When the guard talked to the man, he identified him as 21-year-old Brian Hernandez.
The guard talked to the man about what was going on, and Hernandez allegedly said he went into the museum to break things when he became angry with his girlfriend.
When the police arrived, it was reported that Hernandez was sitting on a bench inside the museum with the guard watching over him.
Hernandez was placed under arrest and booked into the Dallas County Jail on suspicion of criminal mischief greater than $300,000. He is being held in lieu of a $100,000 bond.
The museum released a comment stating that while they were suffering from the losses of the pieces of historical art, they were happy that no one was hurt during the incident.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.